beatwfeld



(No Model.)

H. E. BRAUNFELD.

FIRE ESGAPE. No. 283,961. Patented Aug. 28, 1883.*

WITNESSESz NITED STATES PATENT Cl ric,

HENRY E. BBAUNFELD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

' FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,961, dated August 28, 1883.

Application filed May 25, 1883. (No model.) V

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hnnnv E. BRAUNFELD, a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, and a subject of I Germany, havingresided one year last past within the United States, and made oath of my intention of becoming a citizen thereof, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and ac companying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are views of opposite sides of a fire escape embodying my invention. Fig'. 3 is a vertical section in line a m, Fig. l.

I 5 Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of a fire-escape formed of a head of novel construction, the same having a rope doubled thereon, so that a descent may be made with certainty and without dangerous rapidity,as will be hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a head, of suitable metal, formed of the top part, A, having a vertical passage, a, open above and below, a bottom part, B, the face whereof is curved, a knob, O, projecting laterally from the said part B on the side opposite to the top part, A, and a hook, D, at the top of said .knob, said laterally projecting knob being 0 above the bottompart, B.

E represents a loop, hook, or eye depending from the bottom part, B, for the connection of the sling or waist-belt of the wearer, the same being shown in dotted lines.

The passage a is made of such width that two lengths of the rope may be placed side by side, and when the escape is in service said lengths pass each other. The rope is doubled and inserted in the passage a, theloop being below. The two lengths of the rope below said passage are then passed transversely under the bottom part to the portion below the knob, and the loop of the rope is turned up and hung onthe knob and spread around the same, as most plainly shown in Fig. 1. The upper end of the rope is provided with a hook or other means for connection with the building, and when the person using the escape has properly applied the sling or waistband the descent may be made. The friction on the rope causes the head to move with certainty and regularity, and without dangerous rapidity, it being seen that the two lengths of rope in the passage to bear against the walls of said passage and against each other, and then 5 5 around the bottom part, 13, thus creating considerable friction, which is increased by the passage of the loop of the rope around the knob C. Another advantage of the present construction is the adaptability of making the head small, light, and inexpensive.

F representsva spring, which is secured to the top part, A, and overhangs the groove of the knob, reaching the hook D, on which the loop of the rope is supported, and in which it plays, whereby the rope is prevented from jumping from said knob, said spring being a piece of rubber, and may be made of metal. The hook D deepens the groove of the knob; but if the flange of the knob is enlarged at top, it will constitute a hook and serve to pre I vent outward displacement of the rope, while the spring F prevents upward displacement of the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is j 1. A'fire-escape having a head, A, formed of a top part, A, with a vertical passage, a, a bottom part, B, and a projecting knob, G, and a looped rope which is doubled in said passage and passed transversely under the bottom part, and has the loop turned up and spread around said knob, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The head A, with knob O, in combination with the spring F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY E. BRAUNFELD. WVitnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, A. P. GRANT. 

